The Lord's Entrance into Jerusalem: Flowery or Palm Sunday

Verse 1: I am filled with love* for the Lord will hear the voice of my plea (Ps 114:1).

Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Verse 2: For He has inclined His ear to me,* and I will call to Him all the days of my life (Ps 114:2).

Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Verse 3: The pangs of death encircled me,* the trials of Hades befell me (Ps 114:3).

Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Verse 4: I met with anguish and pain,* and called upon the name of the Lord (Ps 114:3-4).

Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

+Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

If the second antiphon is sung: (Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God O Saviour, save us.) Otherwise we sing: Only-begotten Son…

Second Antiphon

Verse 1: I believed and so I spoke,* but I was humbled exceedingly (Ps 115:1).

Refrain: Son of God, who sat upon the foal,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Verse 2: What shall I render to the Lord* for all the things He has rendered to me? (Ps 115:3).

Refrain: Son of God, who sat upon the foal,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Verse 3: I will take the chalice of salvation,* and I will call upon the name of the Lord (Ps 115:4).

Refrain: Son of God, who sat upon the foal,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Verse 4: I will pay my vows to the Lord* in the presence of all His people (Ps 115:5).

Refrain: Son of God, who sat upon the foal,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Glory… now… Only-begotten Son…

Third Antiphon

Verse 1 (Soloist): Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever (Ps 117:1).

Troparion (Tone 1): Assuring us before Your Passion of the general resurrection,* You raised Lazarus from the dead, O Christ God:* and so, like the children, we also carry signs of victory* and cry to You, the conqueror of death:* Hosanna in the highest!* Blessed is He who comes* in the name of the Lord.

Verse 2 (Soloist): Therefore, let the house of Israel say that He is good, for His mercy endures forever (Ps 117:2).

Troparion (Tone 1): Assuring us before Your Passion…

Verse 3 (Soloist): Therefore, let the house of Aaron say that He is good, for His mercy endures forever (Ps 117:3).

Troparion (Tone 1): Assuring us before Your Passion…

Verse 4 (Soloist): Let all who fear the Lord say that He is good, for His mercy endures forever (Ps 117:4).

Troparion (Tone 1): Assuring us before Your Passion…

Entrance Verse (Soloist): Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord, we bless you from the house of the Lord; the Lord is God and has appeared to us (Ps 117:26-27).

Troparion (Tone 1): Assuring us before Your Passion of the general resurrection,* You raised Lazarus from the dead, O Christ God:* and so, like the children, we also carry signs of victory* and cry to You, the conqueror of death:* Hosanna in the highest!* Blessed is He who comes* in the name of the Lord.

+Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Troparion (Tone 4): Buried with You through Baptism, O Christ our God,* we have been granted immortal life by Your resurrection,* and we sing Your praises, crying out:* Hosanna in the highest!* Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion (Tone 6): Mounted on the throne in heaven, O Christ God,* and on a colt here on earth,* You accepted the praise of the angels,* and the hymn of the children who cried to You:* Blessed are You, who have to call Adam back.

Prokimenon (Tone4): Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;* God the Lord has appeared to us (Ps 117:26-27).

verse:Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever (Ps 117:1).

Epistle (Phil 4:4-9):Brethren, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Alleluia (Tone 1):Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!verse: Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has worked wonders (Ps 97:1).verse: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God (Ps 97:1).

Gospel: (John 12:1-18): Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’ When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus. The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!’ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: ‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him.

Instead of“It is truly…”: O my soul, magnify Christ who is seated on a foal.

Irmos (Tone 4): The Lord is God and has appeared to us: together let us celebrate. Come with great rejoicing; let us magnify Christ with palms and olive branches, and with songs let us cry aloud to Him: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, our Saviour.

Communion Verse: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;* God the Lord has appeared to us (Ps 117:26-27). Alleluia! (3x).